Aug/Sept 2008

By Brad Bloom

What are we doing as leaders in the fitness industry? As a fitness facility executive, if you aren't regularly reaching the hearts of your members you can bet your staff isn't. Get training and get going today.

Do you struggle with your weight? Is eating from emotions something you do often? Does stress contribute to your overeating behaviors? Read more to learn how a deeper faith can help you break free.

To truly have success in your own personal physical fitness, Los Angeles based performance coach Erik Akutagawa says you must have a purpose, a plan and a partner – all three.

“After 29 years I was given a public forum to share the athletic gifts that God has given me. But, I had no idea if I was ready to battle a Gladiator.” What Konigsmark does know is that he must daily fight a greater foe that seeks to destroy his life. Find out what it takes to escape and face your opponent.

Every eight minutes, an American woman turns fifty. Many of these women will sail through this mid-life crossing while others feel as though they’ve entered a storm from which they may never emerge. Connecting with friends has been shown to promote mental health as well as physical well-being. Smith offers advice on how you can reach out in faith and receive wholeness.

The race was close but Andretti Bain won the victory and secured the success of which he dreamed. Collegiate athletics takes on a different tone when the athlete is motivated by passion for God. That passion keeps Bain dreaming. What’s next may be his biggest challenge yet.

Registered Dietician Elizabeth Barge says, “I’ve found that it’s impossible for me to be spiritually hungry for God and the Bible when I am overfed physically”. Barge introduces you to the purpose and technique of fasting (abstaining from food). Gain wisdom and guidance as you center on God and pursue this spiritual discipline.

When feeling lost, uncertain, or confused, ask, “WHAT’S UP?” In the first of a three part series, Granger introduces you to using the acronym WHATS UP to create spiritual success. He says, “How comforting to know there is nothing unexpected to God. Within that context, seeing my place in the world and listening to the voice of God is often so easy.”

I lost my hearing at age three from having a high fever. At first, my self-esteem was very low. Through fitness, I learned the importance of setting goals and visualizing where I wanted to go and what I wanted to achieve. Instead of making excuses, stay in Christ, and conquer your limitations.

Fitness personality Tanji Johnson shares about staying positive during injury, “My body was in shock so I was not sure exactly what was injured. I knew, however, that I was in a very familiar place. I may have been a broken athlete but certainly not a broken spirit.”

The force of the semi-truck impact literally knocked his heart to the other side of his chest. After his death, Brian Boyle now lives and runs in some of the world’s toughest races to show how God moved his heart to encourage others – you are never alone!

When you decide to go for it you jump, fall then land. What do you do next? You expand your definition of fitness and faith. When it is time for you to overcome challenges and be an influence look to God to create your own success story.